Yesterday was rough.  A friend called to say her horse was in trouble and could I come and help?

The Rescue Attempt

Her mare had fallen down next to the fence, catching her legs in the post and rails. She’d been there for a while, and was very tired.

I helped with removing the rails and freeing her legs and the vet arrived in time to assist with moving the exhausted horse to a position where she could get up safely.

Age and Stress Take Their Toll

But she was thirty years old, in terrible pain from colic, and stressed by the experience of being forced to lie down for so long.

Colic in horses (forgive me if you already know this) is serious. Horses cannot vomit, so if anything goes wrong in their stomachs or intestines (all 100 plus feet of them) we owners have to take immediate action.

After trying all she could to make the horse comfortable, the vet said there was nothing more to be done. Her digestive system had given up, and the mare was dehydrated. She was not going to get better.

A Sad Farewell

Watching as she was peacefully put to sleep brought tears to my eyes. I mourned for the horse, for my friend who’d owned her for twenty-five years - and for myself.

I was reliving the death of my own mare four years earlier. She was at a boarding barn where, I later discovered, the owner and manager had little interest in horses other than their own. My talented girl was unhappy - and colicked.

A Sixth Sense

Something told me, while I sat at home, that Kelly was not O.K. and I rushed to the barn in a severe thunder storm. She began to colic as I arrived. It was as if she'd been waiting for me, so we could be together at the end. 

At least, like my friend, I was able to put her out of her misery and say goodbye.

The Toughest Part: Putting It All in Perspective

It took me a long time to forgive those whom I considered responsible for her death. It was hard to accept that it was simply her time and I shouldn’t lay blame on anyone.

God needed me to let go. Have I mentioned that I’m a little obsessive about horses? (!) I guess He was telling me to start distancing myself from false gods.

However, He graciously allows me to help others through my horses, and for that I am grateful. I take it as a sign that He is not totally against my hobby – He just warns me not to get too attached to earthly creatures!

The Final Reminder

He made that abundantly clear last night. My friend’s horse had just died from colic, and now He gave my husband’s horse colic, too.

As much as I prayed “Thy will be done” I’d be lying if I said I didn’t also ask if God would save the horse.

He did. But I must be careful and heed His warning that I can’t take the horses with me when I leave this earth, and must keep my sights on higher things.